I'm so pissed off.

I bought my 87 TII in feb. with a mazda employee's re-built, not even broken in 13b. On my way home from florida, it passed the break in period but I was still takeing it really easy. It preformed great all the way home. Before I was even able to get it winterized, the coolant froze, I craked my radiator (I replaced it), It wouldent cold start, wouldent hot start, and it drinks gas and coolant REALLY bad. As sick of it as I was I brought it down to my mechanic, who tells me he thinks it's a blown apex seal.......I'm pissed. and I also don't know If I should even believe that cause it's still fast. (Not to mention that the guy's not exactly a rotary wiz (although he is very good.))

I don't expect you guys to be able to give me some miracle answer over the internet. Thats not my goal. I'm posting merely to comiserate, and mabe someone will have something to add that might help.

Thanks for being here rx7club!

 

frozen coolant....
i made no changes for winter.
but in theory the plugs should have blown out.
nothing should have affected the apex seals. much more likely the coolant seals.

sounds like you should pull it out and strip it down before you couse permanent damage though.

 

coolant in the combustion chamber will cause it to have starting issues, after it's warm does it idle? if it does then the apex seals are fine but your coolant issues still require it to be rebuilt.

 

If the performance is good it isn't the apex seals... Sounds like the coolant rings weren't installed correctly.

 

i wouldn't necessarily say it couldn't be, when i chipped a seal it ran fine on the highway but couldn't hold an idle to save it's life.

 

Isn't it possible that the freezing water expanded at the engine, destroying the coolant seals?

 

it would have destroyed the iron, coolant seals rarely fail on their own. no freezing would not damage just the seals but a broken seal retainer wall would explain this.

 

Right, I was going on the statement that it has good power.. I had an N/A that had great power but had leaky coolant seals... Not surprising especially due to the fact that mine was also a mazda reman. Mine also had bad oil control rings with only 800miles on the rebuild...

 

surpriseingly this is the most help anyones been at this forum. I appreciate the response. But dang it dang it dang it....I don't have time for a rebuild.





(Edit for careless typeing)

 

what up,

is say screw rebuild and go and get a jdm motor for like only $650. these motors come out of running cars and only have 10,000-35,000 miles on them.

 

Argh im setting my self up for abuse now!
Try some stop leak that is suitable for cracked heads. this only cost about $5 and sometimes works. it worked on my car 5 months now and 20lbs boost of abuse still no problem. I was incouraged to try this by a dodgy mechanic who some have no time for, but what do you Know.... he was rite! and its still working fine on borrowed time.

 

Karack is exactly right, it's damn near impossible to have the coolant freeze and just push out the coolant seals. I would take it back to him and tell him that the coolant seals were not installed correctly. See if you can get him to pay to have it rebuilt by someone who knows what he's doing.

Broken apex seals cause coolant to be drunk like it's sweet tea, my ***.

 

That is exactly what the engine importers would like you to believe. Theres no way of telling how long one sat in some junkyard. Without the actual front clip there is NO WAY to tell how many miles are on the engine. Do you really believe that people in japan buy sports cars and then hardly ever drive them? They beat on them as hard as we do if not even harder over there. JDM motors are about a 50/50 gamble and most people think they should just be rebuilt upon arrival for peace of mind and to port the **** out of it.

It would really suck to have just bought a car with a new rebuild then have the coolant freeze and cause this issue and THEN go buy a JDM motor that ends up requiring a rebuild as well.

 

I can't belive this crap is happening...do you guys think that it could be a small problem like for example...plugs, thermostat, some exterior seal.....something anything else that I might try before ripping it apart?? any other simple stupid ideas?

 

If its drinking coolent, a coolent seal had failed.

You probably broke one of the outer walls holding the coolent seals in place when it froze, they are very thin.

You should be using antifreeze anyway because corrosion will take out the coolent seal walls on its own in a few years if you dont.

Edit: You could have also cracked the iron internally, letting it drink coolent.

 

Also if it wasnt drinking coolent before you frooze the block, this is in no way the previous mechanics fault and he shouldnt be held responcible.

 

I agree. With all the over slight over heating that was going on because of coolant loss, I'd be hard pressed to blame it on anyone but myself. Although it prabably never would have happend if it was put together with new stuff, and correctly.

 

I think you all are wrong. I have seen this before. Even though the rotary is equipped with freeze plugs, they usually dont perform in a freeze situation. The iron winds up cracking under the force, from the coolant jacket all the way through the wall and to the combustion chamber. Usually an inch or 2 in diameter. Then when you try to crank it over, the crack is protruding and the rotor and seals hit the protrusion...so it chews up all the seals and the side of the rotor and you lose compression. I'd be willing to bet that this is what happened.

IT's no one's fault but your own for letting it freeze. There's no way a coolant seal could be at fault in this situation, based on what you say.

 

Resurrection...first thanks for the reply.
I hear what you're saying, but when something like that happens...wouldent the engine lose like tons of freakin power? Mine idols, and revs with no bucking even. It's got totally normal power....like, good solid power. If I'm wrong or missing something let me know. it just seems like the cracking you're describing would be devestating, and would kill the power.

-Glad you have heard from the likes of you man, I'm sure you really know your stuff

 

You'd most likely get coolant and oil mixing, and yes you'd have some power loss and especially be hard to start up and idle smoothly.

Bottom line, regardless of the actual cause, at this point you're probably going to have to tear it down and have a looksee. IF you can't keep coolant in it, that's a dead giveaway of either a seal or a crack.

 

+1

 

I'm not smellin oil in the exhaust even a lick, and it's holding oil like theres no tomorrow...but yea the startup is beyond discription(...bad...), and sometimes non-existant. Yea, I'm sold on it though, I'm sure I'm screwed..."I never though this could happen to me". thanks alot for the help everyone. hey resurrection! How about some rx7club discount! ....ha ha ha.....kidding of course...



This freakin blows.

 

Wait, one thing we might have looked over.... Does the car Smoke while running and startup??? Have you made ABSOLUTE sure there is no external leaks? check around the bell housing for coolent around it...

 

opps, late post.... blah

 

Actually I've seen coolant leakin from the gasket at the thermostat but...thats basicly it....yea....

I'm sure I'm going to rebuild......
...Now that I say that though....Would you guys recommend me just buying a "new" 13b? and just pitching mine? I mean....It's life's story is getting rediculus...what do you think?